Normal Flock Size?

[cindynkidsd]

Yes, we plan to sell most of their eggs, and maybe even hatch them when I'm more experienced, but..... follow-up question, how much does half a dozen or a dozen homegrown eggs go for usually?

In my area, $2.50 to $4.00 depending on "organic" or not.

 

[PrimroseMom1]

   With that many chickens per person, the way my hens lay, we would be drowning in eggs.....and I use eggs every day.

I started out with buying 2 production RIR at a feed store. I knew NOTHING. It was an Easter present for my granddaughter to be kept at my house. One died in 2 days, so we replaced it. Another died quickly and I figured out it was cocci and started treatment. So I had one. After two weeks I bought 2 Black Sex Link. They always were a "pack" and the little RIR was the odd one out. So, about a year later I got 2 Amercaunanas that grew up and became a tight group of two. Birds of a feather flock together. Duh!!! So the little RIR is still the odd one out. All 5 are laying and I generally get from 3-5 eggs a day, often 4. I am thinking of getting an RIR pullet to bond with my lonely one. I will stop there. For sure!! Quit laughing, I really will. Really. Maybe...

 

[BasqueLover]

great idea for the roosts! never thought of using a gate

I used to do that

 

[Dwkuska]

For what its worth here is my opinion. Start with the fewest amount of chicks you can(3-6). Chicken math has a funny way of sneaking up on you. If you can start with 6 and your allowed 12+ that gives you wiggle room for future purchases. Also consider that chickens only live a few years so buying a few every year means you wont have 100% mortality rate in 3-6yrs.


P.S. I didnt read all 11 pages so this might already have been said lol

 

[naadarien]

We live on 80 acres and have a 250sf coop so we started larger on purpose.

We bought 25 chickies, and are up to 30 now by rehoming some roosters for some locals who got in over their heads.

I think we could probably go up to 40 comfortably, but I wouldn't want to go above that. I wouldn't have the time to care and manage them.

We get 18-22 eggs per day (even now in the winter) from 21 hens. That ratio is quite high. I was expecting it to be lower, but they are consistently hitting that mark so I doubt I'd want more hens. The difference would be meat birds if I wanted to go up to 40.

I am in the process of changing over from hatchery birds (that I started with) to heritage so I'm not looking to increase quantity as much as increase quality. We'll slaughter 10 birds for meat and replace them with 10-12 heritage chicks. We're likely to repeat that for the next two years until we have an almost 100% heritage flock (there are a few birds we would let live out their lives for a variety of reasons).

Good luck with your endeavor. I have loved having chickens for this past year. I think I'll have some birds until the end of my days.

 

[dekel18042]

Another reason for starting small and adding on is once you have one or more breeds of chickens, you might find for some reason or other that you like some of the breeds more than others and want to get more of that breed or you might see other breeds you want to try.
This spring I am getting a small order of six chicks, each of different breeds to see how I like each. Plus my egg basket should get more and more colorful.

 

[PluckyClucker99]

@naadarien
Question: What breeds of chicken do you have? The chickens I get will probably be mostly for egg production, with a few meat birds and ornamental breeds thrown in there.

 

[dekel18042]

I have Jersey Giants, easter eggers and some mixed brown egg layers. I'm getting a black copper marans, cuckoo marans (should give me speckled eggs), blue splash marans (chocolate eggers), buckeye, a welsummer (terra cotta) and cream legbar. There are still a few I would like to try.

Mine are all excellent layers, and I love the colored eggs.
The JG lay huge rosy brown eggs, and they are very friendly, excellent dual purpose birds (but I won't mention that.) but with the hard winter we had, don't have the most efficient feed to egg ratio.
Some of the criteria for what I get are they need to be cold hardy and since I often free range I need something that can forage well and blend into the scenery, hence no white birds. Thankfully everyone has stayed safe all winter and I've had no losses.

 

[Onespirit03]

I would say follow your heart, but instead follow your knowledge. As a beginner it may be best to start off small and work your way up so you can learn and grow. I wanted to know as much as possible (even though I had experience as a child, things change), so that I could develop a routine to manage my flock (feeding, sanitation, disease/parasite prevention/control, security, managing the eggs, reproduction, etc). Write your goals, plans, progress, etc in a notebook. It is better for you and your flock if you are responsible and prepared. Have fun raising your flock.

 

[karenerwin]

I started my flock with 4 birds the x husband bought for the daughter. 3 of them turned out to be roosters. The black Austrolorp was the only hen. She laid a nice sized brown egg. We found her dead of unknown causes when she was about 7 or 8 months old. The Rhode Island rooster was mean to all the other chickens (even after we got more hens), so he got butchered. The white Leghorn was mean to people, to the point of drawing blood & attacking everyone every time, so he too was butchered. The Ameraucana Rooster is very sweet and follows me around. He doesn't mind being picked up and will even fly up to sit on my shoulder!
I wanted to get more Black Astrolorps but I couldn't find any. I ended up getting 2 more Rhode Island Reds & 2 Production Reds. 1 of the 4 turned out to be a rooster. The hens lay extra large to jumbo sized brown eggs and usually they each lay 1 each day.
Next I got 3 Ameraucanas & 3 Black Sex Link. 1 of the Ameraucanas turned out to be a rooster and was killed by the rest of the flock one day while I was at work ( or an outside predator got it, but we think it was an inside job).
So 11 months into the adventure, I have 10 birds. 2 roosters and 8 hens, all of which are laying. The Ameraucanas are laying a pale blue egg.
I am thinking about getting a couple more Ameraucanas and a white egg layer ( I can't remember the breed I decided on & can't find the magazine at the moment), I'm also considering the Marans breed for their dark chololate brown colored eggs).
We have a 10 x 10 shed that we insulated & wired for electricity. They free range all day in a 70 x 70 ft fenced in yard. We live in Missouri, so our winters can get pretty cold. So far none of the eggs laid in the coop have frozen, even when they have been there all day.
I never realized what personalities chickens have. I really enjoy watching them.
oh, the daughter that the first 4 were given to, isn't interested in them at all! LOL.
I sell the extra eggs for $1.00 a dozen, but everyone tells me that is way too cheap! ( I'm just trying to pay for their bagged feed each month) They eat a 40 pound bag of feed about every 6 to 8 weeks. I also supplement with food scraps from the local school cafeteria ( salad, scrambled eggs, cooked vegetables...)